BRITISH SPEEDWAY ROUND-UP #20

HERE’S our latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

PIC OF THE WEEK…

IPSWICH have boosted their play-off hopes with a series of away wins over the last week or so. The Witches have recently tasted victory at Leicester, King’s Lynn and Peterborough and moved-up to fourth in the Sports Insure Premiership table – although teams above and immediately below them do have a number of matches in-hand.
Photo Credit: DEREK LEADER

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP NEWSROUND…

COMMUNICATION THE KEY
BELLE Vue star Jaimon Lidsey says a mid-meeting team talk worked wonders as the Aces ended their 2023 hoodoo against Sheffield with a home win over the Tigers, having trailed by four points.
The reigning champions dominated the second half of the meeting with an 18-point swing in those races to take a 52-38 victory.
Lidsey said: “At the half-way point, we got together and discussed what was going on. The track was quite different after the weekend’s events but we managed to adapt and came on strong at the end.
“It’s a huge weight off our shoulders because this just proves we can produce a big result when it counts, and we not only won on the night but we managed to fight back and get the bonus too.”

ADAMS PRAISES TRACK
WOLVERHAMPTON’S track staff worked wonders to get their home clash with Leicester on after a weekend deluge in the Midlands.
And they were rewarded with a dramatic Super Heat victory after a 45-45 draw with local rivals Leicester.
Adams said: “We had some difficulties on Sunday with frequent rainstorms when they were halfway through the preparation and that hampered us.
“A few of the riders weren’t comfortable with the amount of material on the inside so we had to get rid of that for them. But at the end of the day, the track rode well and it was an absolutely magnificent spectacle.”

STEAD – NO MORE SLIPS
SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead saw his side lose out 52-38 in a cracker at Belle Vue whilst Ipswich won on the road again.
The Tigers are still favourites for a play-off place due to their matches in hand, but Stead is keen they take control of their own destiny, with Leicester in town on Thursday.
He said: “It’s that time of the season where everything seems to take on a bit more significance and things are starting to really ramp up.
“We know we can’t afford too many more slip-ups and a couple more league points on Thursday are just what we need.”

RISS BACK ON FORM
IPSWICH made it three successive away wins with their latest triumph coming at Peterborough by a 47-43 win with Emil Sayfutdinov racing to a brilliant maximum.
But there was also praise from boss Ritchie Hawkins for German star Erik Riss who has endured a troubled season but hit back strongly with an important 8+2 contribution.
Hawkins said: “It was great to see Erik score well and it is something for him to now work on, progress from and keep going. It should do him the world of good with his confidence and it was vital for us and needed.
“Danny (King) scored steady points and to have Erik scoring points in the side with him really helps and that made a massive difference.”

LIONS MAKE DOUBLE CHANGE
LEICESTER were surprise movers in the transfer market at the weekend with the signings of Richie Worrall and Craig Cook.
The Lions released captain Chris Harris to accommodate the changes with Troy Batchelor also losing his place, and the new-look line-up forced a 45-45 draw at Wolverhampton before losing out in a Super Heat.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “This isn’t just a knee-jerk reaction to (last) Monday’s loss against Ipswich – my head was already spinning with options before that.
“I looked at various permutations and it could really only be done with two riders coming in and two moving out to get what I wanted, and unfortunately Bomber has become a casualty of numbers.”

BOMBER BACK WITH PANTHERS
PETERBOROUGH boss Rob Lyon admitted there was no hesitation when the opportunity became available to bring Chris Harris back to the club.
Harris and Richie Worrall effectively exchanged places with Worrall joining the Lions, and Harris was immediately installed as Panthers skipper.
Lyon said: “We have to focus our attention on winning a good number of these home matches to give the fans something to shout about and finish the season on a better footing.
“Clearly having Bomber back in the team, from a Peterborough perspective with all these home matches to come makes us stronger, with all due respect to Richie.”

TOUGH LUCK FOR STARS
KING’S Lynn again found fortune hiding from them in a 40-50 home defeat to Ipswich, where they felt they were worth much more than the eventual outcome.
The Stars have two more clashes with the Witches to come over the coming weeks as they head to Foxhall on Thursday.
Manager David Hoggart said: “The disappointing bit was in the middle with Benjamin Basso breaking a couple of chains, and when do you ever see that happen? That obviously took it away from us.
“When we’re up against a team like Ipswich who have got two World class riders in their side, I’m really keen that we try and stay with it, and not let them get their noses in front.”

THE WEEK AHEAD… IPSWICH return home after a vital run of three successive away wins to revive their play-off hopes, and they will hope for no slip-ups against King’s Lynn on Thursday… meanwhile Sheffield host Leicester at Owlerton with Tai Woffinden set to make his home debut.

ALSO… BELLE Vue stage the Sports Insure British Final on Monday August 14 with Dan Bewley defending the title and the other contenders also chasing a Wild Card place for the British GP at Cardiff.
Tickets for the showpiece event are available from https://www.bellevue-speedway.com .

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP NEWSROUND…

HAVVY PRAISE FOR NEW NO.1
POOLE co-boss Gary Havelock believes the Pirates are in a stronger configuration with Richard Lawson having taken over the No.1 berth.
The reigning champions were victorious at Berwick on Saturday and are looking to chase down leaders Oxford ahead of their clash at Wimborne Road on Wednesday.
Havelock said: “I have seen a big difference in this Poole side since Richard went to No.1. Some riders are natural No.1s and Richard certainly is one of those.
“It is not everyone’s favourite racing position, personally I loved being No.1 but I think back and Mark Loram hated it. Richard has settled in there so easily and it has brought a different dimension to the team, and I can see that Steve (Worrall) is happier where he is.”

CHEETAHS APOLOGY
OXFORD promoter Jamie Courtney sent a message to supporters following the late postponement of last Wednesday’s home clash with Scunthorpe.
The club attempted remedial track work following rain earlier in the day but were forced to shelve the fixture when the track did not respond as expected.
Courtney said: “Had we called the fixture off on Tuesday, we wouldn’t have forgiven ourselves for not attempting to get the meeting on when we had a clear weather window. Had we called it off when we first realised the track wasn’t behaving in its typical fashion at 6.15pm, we wouldn’t have forgiven ourselves for not trying to rescue the situation.
“We wholeheartedly share the frustration of our supporters, and no one left Oxford Stadium on Wednesday night more disappointed than myself.”

MONARCHS WAIT ON KYE
EDINBURGH heat leader Kye Thomson was taken to hospital last week after developing food poisoning-like symptoms.
Thomson had recorded a full maximum in the Monarchs’ recent home win over Berwick despite feeling unwell, and he underwent tests in hospital.
It meant he missed the abandoned home clash with Poole, with photographer Peter Hill thankfully making a recovery after the frightening, freak incident which caused a halt to be called when Craig Cook’s bike cleared the fence.

BANDITS HAPPY WITH DEBUTS
BERWICK boss Scott Courtney was satisfied with his two incoming riders’ efforts against Poole on Saturday – and says there’s more to come.
Hans Andersen and Steve Boxall have joined the Bandits to ease their injury concerns, although they couldn’t prevent a 40-50 defeat to the defending champions.
Courtney said: “Hans looked pretty sharp for his first British meeting in almost a month while Steve was very much in the mix and unlucky that his score didn’t reflect those efforts.”

PARR URGES CAUTION
REDCAR boss Gavin Parr has urged supporters not to expect too much of youngster Luke Harrison, who is currently picking up regular stand-in outings for the Bears with Jake Mulford out injured.
Harrison recorded his first race win at Championship level in the recent home win over leaders Oxford.
Parr said: “I was surprised by Luke’s five points but let’s not get carried away! We have to remember that Luke is at the start of what looks like a very promising career, but he’s going to keep his feet on the ground.
“There will be races where Luke is just learning his trade so we can’t expect him to pop out and win Heat 2 every week, although that would be amazing!”

NEW ERA FOR TIGERS
GLASGOW have announced plans for a new academy and training track as the football club moves out of the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium.
The speedway club can now utilise the pitch on the inside of the current track for a training circuit to encourage local youngsters to take up the sport.
Club owner Gerry Facenna said: “From the moment we bought the club in late 2014 it has always been our intention to have a training circuit at Ashfield.
“It’s an exciting new era. We have immediate plans for a multi-purpose circuit on the inside of the current track. This will allow for all bike sizes, so youngsters of all ages can begin their speedway journey at Ashfield.”

WEATHER THE WINNER
SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey had no option but to call off last Friday’s home clash with Berwick – but predicts a cracking contest is in store this week.
He said: “The track has already taken a battering from the rain earlier in the week, plus there’s further showers predicted for later today. We didn’t want to anyone to have a wasted journey tonight.
“Next week, the weather is due to turn and we look forward to sunshine for our clash with reigning champions Poole Pirates at the Eddie Wright Raceway next Friday (August 11).”

THE WEEK AHEAD… CHAMPIONSHIP leaders Oxford visit Poole in a massive clash of play-off contenders on Wednesday… elsewhere at Perry Barr, Birmingham look to get back into the top six battle when they host Redcar… the Bears take on Edinburgh on Friday whilst the Pirates travel to Scunthorpe… Plymouth are finally back in action this week with a home clash against Berwick on Tuesday and a trip to Glasgow on Friday… Berwick host Birmingham in another vital contest just outside the top six on Saturday.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE NEWSROUND…

THOMPSON TAKES CUBS TO THE SUMMIT
DAN Thompson’s brilliant Heat 15 ride at Mildenhall took reigning champions Leicester to the NDL summit with a 46-44 victory.
Cubs boss Dave Howard said: “It was a great performance from the whole team. We had some bad luck with both Max Perry and Max James, and Ashton had an engine failure, but they also had some great rides and we kept in touch for the whole meeting.
“Then we got those vital 5-1s in Heats 11 and 14, with the one in Heat 14 from Max James and Vinnie Foord taking us in front – and then Dan did his amazing ride to come from the back in Heat 15.”

FEN TIGERS FRUSTRATED
MILDENHALL saw their unbeaten home record ended by Leicester on Sunday and now need points on the road to protect their place in the top two.
Josh Warren suffered concussion in a Heat 12 crash before Alfie Bowtell and Lee Complin were upstaged by Dan Thompson in the decider.
Fen Tigers boss Jason Gardner said: “Special credit does need to go on our side to Ben Trigger who gated superbly and rode with such maturity to score 10 points. In any other circumstances he’d have got an additional ride in heat 15 as reward for his performance.
“Our thoughts more than anything else though are with Josh for a speedy recovery.”

ROYALS RESPOND
KENT boss Jamie Willis said his side had produced exactly the right reaction to their pre-meeting team talk ahead of a 50-40 win over Workington on Sunday.
Willis said: “I am absolutely delighted with the performance and the result, we thoroughly deserved it. Our top 4 all recorded a minimum of two wins each which helped us massively, and they were supported by Connor (King) who is starting to show that his confidence is returning.
“I was tough on the boys before the match, stating that it was a must win. I had faith that they were up to the task, but they needed to deliver. I’m proud of all of them for standing up and proving themselves.”

COMETS TARGET COMEBACK
WORKINGTON boss James Denham is still optimistic of taking the aggregate point from Kent when the sides meet at Northside on Saturday, following a 50-40 defeat at Iwade last weekend.
Denham said: “We were disappointed not to get the win but these things happen, however Connor (Bailey) was class and that Heat 15 ride was something special – especially for a track he hasn’t seen before.
“All is not lost though as we face Kent at Northside this weekend, and the aggregate point is up for grabs if we beat them by more than ten points. Every point is valuable to us at this point in the season.”

NEGATIVE WEATHER FOR CHARGERS
OXFORD’S bid to get back into action with a new-look reserve pairing was thwarted when their home clash with Kent on Tuesday was postponed.
Boss Peter Schroeck said: “I’m excited to see how Luke (Killeen) and Jason (Garrod) pair together at reserve.
“Luke has been itching to go for a couple of weeks now but the weather simply hasn’t been kind, and Jason is in the same boat.”

THE WEEK AHEAD… LEICESTER moved to the top of the NDL with their win at Mildenhall last weekend, and the Lion Cubs now travel to Berwick on Saturday… meanwhile Workington host Kent at Northside with the Royals bringing a ten-point advantage for the aggregate point.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY AUGUST 8:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Berwick 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Kent OFF

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Redcar 7.30, Poole (38) v Oxford (52) 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 10:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v King’s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Leicester 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Plymouth 7.30, Redcar (47) v Edinburgh (43) 7.30, Scunthorpe (41) v Poole (49) 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 12:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick (42) v Birmingham (48) 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Berwick (42) v Leicester (47) (follows previous fixture), Workington (40) v Kent (50) 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 14:
SPORTS INSURE BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 15:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth (41) v Redcar (48) 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole (45) v Redcar (45) 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford (51) v Workington (39) 7.30
CHALLENGE: Birmingham v Coventry Bees Select 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 17:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Ipswich 7.30, Leicester v Wolverhampton 7.30, Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 18:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Oxford 7.30, Glasgow v Berwick 7.30, Redcar v Birmingham 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 19:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Glasgow 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 20:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Edinburgh 5pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent (37) v Mildenhall (53) 12pm, Kent v Oxford (follows previous fixture)

MONDAY AUGUST 21:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Peterborough (33) v Leicester (57) 7.30, Wolverhampton (43) v Ipswich (47) 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 22:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Glasgow 7pm